Our Team

Saikat Chaudhuri is the inaugural Faculty Director of both the Management, Entrepreneurship & Technology (M.E.T.) Program—a flagship dual-degree initiative in engineering and business—and the Berkeley Haas Entrepreneurship Hub, a campus-wide startup incubator at the University of California, Berkeley. He holds the Grimes M.E.T. Chancellor’s Chair and has joint faculty appointments in the Haas School of Business (Entrepreneurship & Innovation; Management of Organizations) and the Department of Mechanical Engineering in the College of Engineering.

Professor Chaudhuri’s research focuses on corporate growth and innovation strategies, including high-tech mergers and acquisitions, strategic outsourcing, partnerships, and innovation in dynamic environments. His work appears in top academic and practitioner outlets and has been recognized by leading associations such as the Academy of Management and the Strategic Management Society.

An award-winning educator, he has developed and taught popular undergraduate, MBA, and executive education courses on corporate strategy, technology management, and innovation. He has received numerous teaching accolades and has led custom programs for major global firms.

Regularly cited in the media, Professor Chaudhuri is a sought-after speaker and advisor, providing insights at corporate, academic, and government forums worldwide. He also serves as an expert witness in legal proceedings.

Before joining Berkeley in 2021, he spent over 16 years at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he held leadership roles including Executive Director of the Mack Institute for Innovation Management and Interim Director of the Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology. His industry experience includes roles at Mannesmann AG, Citibank, McKinsey & Company, and Roland Berger Strategy Consultants.

He earned dual Bachelor’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Multinational Management from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master’s in Manufacturing Systems Engineering from Stanford University, and a Doctorate in Technology and Operations Management from Harvard University.

Chris Dito is the Executive Director of the Management, Entrepreneurship, & Technology Program at UC Berkeley, where she oversees the strategic and operational functions of the inchoate program, including student engagement, admissions, employer interface, career development, outreach, and campus partnerships.

She came to Berkeley from UC Davis, where she served as the Director of Career Services for the Graduate School of Management, working with MBA, Master of Professional Accountancy and MS in Business Analytics students. Prior to that, she was the Assistant Director of Employer Partnerships for the UCD Internship & Career Center. Chris is thrilled to be working with and learning from the M.E.T. community – donors, students, staff, and campus colleagues – and our newly minted alumni.

Dawn led the launch team for the M.E.T. program back in 2016, and as a result has developed strong relationships in the College of Engineering and Haas. She’s the go-to for all academic-related inquiries for the program, including advising, degree planning and progress checks, study abroad, department policies, and more. She helps facilitate connections for academic and wellness support and demystifies the complexity of navigating 2 degrees from 2 different colleges and 7 different engineering majors. Dawn helps our students stay informed about what they need to do to graduate on time while having an enriching academic experience.

Katie joined the M.E.T. team in the fall of 2022. She oversees the operations and administration of the M.E.T. program office. Before joining M.E.T., Katie spent several years in operations at Human Capital, a venture firm startup, whose mission is to help builders (i.e., entrepreneurs) turn great ideas into great companies, investing in founders, teams, and startups of like mind. Prior to Human Capital, Katie spent over a decade at Stanford University managing the Neuroscience Ph.D. program and the Public Policy Program. Katie has a Master’s degree in English and briefly taught writing at the community college level before transitioning to higher education administration. She grew up in Napa and currently lives in Oakland with her husband. In her free time, you can find Katie traveling (South Korea, most recently), eating out, or cooking (usually trying a healthy take on something not so healthy).

Jagreet supports the M.E.T. Program through her work in admissions, marketing, and outreach. She leads the full admissions cycle, from application review to cohort selection, while also shaping the program’s marketing strategy and recruitment efforts. A UC Berkeley alumna, she earned her Master’s in English from NYU and brings a thoughtful, story-driven approach to her work in student engagement. Before joining M.E.T., she spent several years in literacy education, where she supported students with learning differences, trained and led instructional teams, and led enrollment initiatives. In her free time, Jagreet enjoys reading and writing poetry, long walks with her dog, and tutoring dyslexic youth as part of her ongoing commitment to educational equity.